‘Hot Boy,’ Meet Cold Steel: Nashville Coke Dealer To Get Federal Time

NASHVILLE, TN — When Emmanuel “Hot Boy” Thirkill was released from state prison in May 2016, he figured he could deal cocaine in the Tony Sudekum Public Housing Development without too much fuss. In his words, after all, federal authorities were focused on “gang bangers and murderers” and he had no apparent gang connection and wasn’t a killer.

Thirkill, 36, miscalculated the level of interest he’d draw from law enforcement. “Hot Boy” began receiving a weekly supply of cocaine to deal at the public housing development. He would hide the coke in his home near Thomas Edison Elementary School in Antioch and transport it to Sudekum as needed.

On December 6, 2016, Metro Police officers attempted to stop Thirkill as he was leaving his home, but he fled and temporarily eluded capture. AA search warrant was subsequently obtained and executed at Thirkill’s home and officers found five ounces of cocaine, $15,000 cash and a loaded Glock 9-millimeter pistol, which was later determined to have been stolen during a 2013 Sumner County burglary. MNPD officers located and arrested Thirkill the following day at a West Nashville motel in West Nashville. “Hot Boy” admitted the gun and cocaine was his and it was then he told officers he thought federal authorities were only focusing on “gang bangers and murderers” and thus believed he could continue selling drugs in the area without consequence.

“As the facts of this case indicate, this defendant seriously miscalculated law enforcement’s interest in his illegal activities,” said Middle Tennessee U.S. Attorney Donald Cochran. “This office and our law enforcement partners will continue our efforts to safeguard our citizens in these public housing areas by removing the bad actors who are so detrimental to their quality of life. A sentence of more than 21 years will put an end to the defendant’s constant criminal activity, for which he has been in and out of state prison on a regular basis. There is no parole in the federal system.”

Thirkill pleaded guilty this week to federal drug trafficking and firearms offenses. He has four prior felony convictions in state court for trafficking cocaine; two prior felony convictions for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm; and a conviction for attempted reckless aggravated assault.